Lee Eng Su, Co-Founder of Popular Nasi Lemak Restaurant, Died on Thursday (12 Sept)

If you’re a foodie, you’d know about The Coconut Club.

The popular nasi lemak restaurant sells only nasi lemak for its main course, and there a reason for that extremely limited menu: it could have potentially the best-est nasi lemak in Singapore.

And it’s not my words.

Opened in 2016 after attending a nasi lemak convention in Kuala Lumpur, Lee Eng Su, the co-founder of the restaurant, got into every headline after our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong hosted the President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte for a meal there—mere one month after its opening.

The restaurant, well known for its tagline of “nasi lemak and cendol”, then went on to earn the Bib Gourmand status in the 2018 Michelin Guide Singapore.

Suffice to say, the lone restaurant tucked in the hipster Ann Siang Road has the approval of many Singaporean, and so does its boss.

Mr Lee is also known to be a people’s boss: other than getting his hands dirty with his employees, he ensures that his full-time staff gets a minimum wage of $2,000 a month even if they’ve no experience, which is much higher than any other F&B outlets.

But from the headline, you’d have known what happened.

A Sudden Facebook Post on Friday the 13th

On Friday, The Coconut Club’s suddenly posted this:

No reason or whatsoever on its closure.

It was only last night that reports came streaming in, that Mr Lee has died at his home on Thursday (12 September 2019). The family has confirmed the death but declined to explain the cause.

According to the Facebook post, the restaurant will be reopened on Tuesday (17 September 2019).

Since The Coconut Club’s establishment, it has opened a sister eatery, Belimbing Superstar, three weeks ago. Just like The Coconut Club, it also got into the news fast, but for a different reason: it’s a “Peranakan Cai Png” that cost from $16 per person.

The new eatery will also be reopened on Tuesday.

In the meantime, RIP, Mr Lee Eng Su. You might be gone, but your legendary nasi lemak will stay on forever.